OTC ranked as one of the fastest growing community colleges in the country

A report released Monday by Community College Week lists Ozarks Technical Community College as one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the nation last year.

The College ranked 33rd in the nation among schools with enrollments of 10,000 or higher, with an 8.4 percent enrollment increase from fall 2007 to fall 2008. OTC grew from 10,250 students to 11,116 students from 2007 to 2008. In 2009, enrollment has continued to increase dramatically. This fall, the College welcomed 12,884 students, up 15.9 percent from 2008.

“Community colleges around the country are continuing to see tremendous growth because they offer unique opportunities for affordable, flexible education, short-term workforce development training, and accelerated certification programs during this time of economic struggles,” said Dr. Hal Higdon, president of Ozarks Technical Community College. “More students at community colleges leads to a more qualified workforce, lower unemployment, and economic growth.”

The community college ranked this year as the fastest growing among schools with enrollments of 10,000 or higher is Los Angeles Trade Technical College, with 32.5 percent growth. For a complete list of rankings, visit the website of Community College Week, www.ccweek.com.